actor,
writer and comedian guy Branham is having a
moment following a star turn in Billy Eichner,
rom com bros after working in Hollywood for more than two decades,
random is now developing two sitcoms with NBC and abc and writing and
starring in several other upcoming projects for the big and small screen,
he's busy, it's good to be Guy Brandon
recently spoke with him about bros and a ton of other dicks, take a look at this,
so guy, we gotta start with bros, you of course start as Henry,
the best friend of Billy Eichner is character and you also
serve as the co producer on the film as well.
So what was it like to sort of play a significant role both
in front of and behind the camera on such an important film,
it was really fun, you know, like my job as a co producer was just to be there on set,
pitching jokes, it's a really funny movie, it's a fun,
good time and then on the days when I was acting I just sort of
had to like put those responsibilities away and just have fun with my own character,
so it was, it was really fun to get to switch up what I was doing,
so it never felt like a grind.
Well one of the rules, I'm sure you're very proud of,
which I I read in page six you have said is one of your responsibilities
was to work with the director to make sure that the sex scenes were hot,
which by the way is having seen this movie, they were you did a very good job with that.
What made you sort of the right person for that job?
Well, the thing is, is I think, um, you know, on Judd apatow's movies,
they always have somebody there who's like pitching
extra jokes and that sort of thing.
And I had worked for Billy Eichner on billy on the street for
years and I think he trusted me my understanding of his comedic sensibility.
And the director of the movie, Nick stoller is such a funny director.
He directed, forgetting Sarah marshall and neighbors and you know,
he's a really great comedy director, but he's also a straight guy.
And so, you know, when we were shooting the sex scene, he was like,
this is really funny.
And I was like, yes, it's also really hot. And he was like, I did not think about it.
I was like, all right, I will have to keep an eye open for the stuff that,
by the way, you did such a good job on. So thank God there was an extra set of eyes.
They're so Billy Eichner who we all love. He's sort of headline for bros,
the disappointing numbers and he's basically attributed all that to homophobia.
He later sort of acknowledged
there were several reasons, but he still said the movie subject matter
might have been too taboo for a lot of parts of the country.
I guess my question is what I mean,
this is such a huge moment for the gay community to have a movie
done by a major motion picture studio like this.
What more needs to happen for gay stories to be embraced by a wider audience here.
You know, I think when Billy tweeted that about homophobia,
he was more than anything joking he was taking, you know,
the real truth is is that straight people aren't used to showing up for gay stories
that aren't extremely tragic and mostly portrayed by straight,
you know,
we understand going to the movies because it's responsible
homework to learn about gay oppression and we don't
necessarily understand going for a fun gay comedy and
this is a really fun movie like you know,
so many people have been comparing it to the experience of
going and seeing bridesmaids at the theater and you know,
we really wanted to communicate that to people, it's a good time.
But I I do think you know it's going to take
a little bit more for straight people to understand that
this can be their date night movie then a romantic comedy
that has two dudes in it can be a really
fun romantic story for a straight couple to go watch.
I mean one of the coolest things about seeing
it at the premiere in tiff was not hearing
people laugh at the jokes but hearing people in
the audience really get swept up by the romance.
It's a really funny movie and it's a really great
no, I think it's so true.
By the way, you also,
you did bring a showing of bros for staff
members to five Applebee's restaurants in des Moines,
Iowa.
You actually told Hollywood reported by this.
This is my favorite part of all this quote Shane restaurant wait staff
are the bedrock of Midwestern L G B T Q plus community,
which you're so spot on.
Why did you want to do this?
Because I came out of the closet when I was at
the law school at the University of Minnesota and learned how to
be gay in the midwest and I thought it would be
fun and funny because there have been so many stories of,
you know,
uh matt bomer sent people from his high school
to go see Love Simon or like Octavia spencer
paid for kids to go see um uh Black panther and I wanted to uh you know,
take a group of people who were in the queer community who aren't always respected,
who don't always get to see themselves represented.
Um and for me that was the queer people and
allies of the Appleby staffs uh in Greater des Moines.
Like so many times I found myself in a town in the midwest with
no gay bar and then you showed up to Applebee's and you were like,
this is where our family,
Oh God, you're so right though you are. It's so true. It's that our chilies.
It's usually where it happens
by the way,
Congratulations guy are also in order because you just sold two comedy projects.
One to NBC, another one to abc.
Neither of these are streaming platforms where
representation has done typically a bit better,
but what does it mean to sort of sell these shows to broadcast networks?
You know, it's an exciting process,
you never know when you sell something for development,
whether it's going to actually make it to air.
But I am really excited that, you know, in the wake of Abbott Elementary,
I think people are enjoying having and have a
place in their lives uh for network comedies.
Again, I love a network comedy,
I love a funny comedy and I think that we have
so much great stuff in the half hour space right now,
The Bear is an amazing
but I love stuff that has more jokes than that, you know,
has more jokes than drama and so I'm really
hoping we can figure out a way of bringing back
that kind of comedy in the spirit of Abbot Elementary
and if there's one person that could do it,
it absolutely would be you guys such a pleasure to have
one person who could do it. It's quinto Bronson. Yes,
yes, then it's
done and then maybe we just need to find your Sheryl lee ralph honey,
that's what we gotta do,
by the way, I will totally be his Shirley!
Red especial thanks to actor, writer and comedian guy, Branham